A dead shark has been discovered on the subwayin New York City, transport officials have confirmed.

The unlikely passenger, about 1.2m (4ft) long, wasfound under a row of seats on a Queens-boundtrain.

The conductor asked passengers to leave thecarriage and the train continued to the end of theline, where a supervisor disposed of the shark.Pigeons and even an opossum have made their wayon to the trains before, but never a shark, transitofficials said.

However, where it came from remains a mystery.Isvett Verde, of Brooklyn, New York, who took aphoto of the shark, said she noticed that the emptycarriage of the N train "smelled extremely fishy"when she boarded at 8th Street.

"It's hard to be surprised as there are always crazythings happening in this city, but even that was a bitmuch," she told the BBC.

Other pictures of the exotic discovery have alsogone viral, including one of the shark with acigarette in its mouth next to a fare card and a canof energy drink.